Changes, Challenges and Coffee Breaks
by criminally charmed
Summary: My take on Windscryer's 100 Themes challenge, based in part on the season three casting news.
1. Chapter 1 Introduction

**Changes, Challenges and Coffee Breaks**

**Disclaimer - Do not own Psych. Well, I own season 1 on DVD and have season 2 pre-ordered. But that is it.**

**Introduction # 1**

Carlton Lassiter was almost smiling. Almost. But it was another perfect Santa Barbara morning, he had a fresh cup of coffee – made just so – and as he approached the SBPD there was no sign of Shawn Spencer. In fact, it had almost been twenty-four hours with no Shawn Spencer. Sigh. Life was good.

"Oof." Focused on saving his coffee, Lassiter wasn't paying attention to the woman who had run into him. Brushing off her "sorry", he barely glanced at her. Then he looked again. Wow. She was blond, curved in all the right places and elegant as hell. The woman reminded him of the actress from "Last Picture Show", one of his favorite movies. She was a little older than him, but with his divorce now final…

"I am really sorry," she said again, offering a small smile.

"No, no – really. I wasn't paying attention." His smile was freely given and his interest was peaked in the sparkle from her eyes.

The two chatted for a few minutes before Lassiter thought to ask a question that he usually would have started with. "So, what brings you to the police station, um…" With some embarrassment, Lassiter realized he hadn't even gotten her name.

Smiling again, the blond gestured at the building. "My ex-husband told me our son was here." At Lassiter's frown, she shook her head. "He works there. Sometimes. It's a bit confusing."

A colleague. She was a colleague's mother? Lassiter began to mentally review the rookies to see if he could connect her with one when she interrupted his thoughts.

"I'm Madeline, by the way." Madeline held out a hand that Lassiter happily accepted.

"Carlton. Carlton Lassiter, Head Detective, Santa Barbara Police Department."

"Lassie?"

Lassiter looked annoyed, and turned on the alleged psychic as he skipped – good god, man, a thirty year old shouldn't move like that – down the steps. "Not now, Spencer."

Shawn smiled tightly. Lassiter was a bit surprised to see annoyance in those hazel eyes. "Lassie, before you go any further in your romantic pursuit of this charming example of American womanhood, I would like to say just one thing." Taking Lassiter's grunt as acceptance, Shawn turned to Madeline and said the only thing he could. "I don't want to talk about it Mom. See you at Dad's tonight, he said he'd grill some steaks."

As Lassiter watched, stunned, Shawn continued down to the Norton he had parked a few feet away and the man drove off. Mouth still open, he turned to look at Madeline, who merely smiled. Finally closing his mouth, Lassiter turned and walked up the stairs to work, praying that Spencer was as annoyed as he had seemed or else he would never here the end of it. Approaching his desk, he saw Juliet. She said nothing, concerned as he sat heavily into his chair and lowered his head to the desk.

"Carlton? Are you OK?"

Refusing to raise his head, a stunned Lassiter confessed the unthinkable. "I was introduced to Spencer's mother – _after_ I made a play for her."

He heard Juliet get up and walk away, muttering something about getting them some coffee.

He also heard her laugh hysterically as soon as she was out of sight.

**_a/n - I started this on Psychfic as part of Windscryers 100 challenge. This is fun and relaxing. In case you don't know, Cybill Shepard (from Moonlighting and yes, The Last Picture Show) has been cast as Madeline, Shawn's mother and Henry's ex-wife. Enjoy the story. - CC_**


	2. Chapter 2 Love

**Love # 2**

**Disclaimer - status same as chapter one. Sigh.**

He had called. One of the other wives had stopped by. But not even an armed robbery with hostages was a good enough reason in Madeline's opinion. She knew it was illogical and unreasonable. But it was her right to think that.

Henry Spencer was a cop. He was a good cop and everyone said it. Even the people who got mad at him – and there were plenty of them – said Henry was a good police officer.

And he was her husband. She loved him and she knew, in his own emotionally closed off way, that he loved her. So if he loved her, really loved her, he should have been with her today. Henry should have been by Madeline's side as she gave birth to their son. But **_no_**, he was once more the hero of the hour, saving some teenage girl from a stoner who decided to rob the coffee shop across from the police station.

She wanted to run up to him, as fast as her aching body would allow, and scream at him for missing their son's birth. She really wanted to make his body ache as badly as her own – _they really don't give enough meds out on the maternity floor_ – so that if she were ever insane enough to let him get her pregnant again, he wouldn't miss the delivery. She wanted to take that – _sniff_ – lovely bouquet of peach roses – her favorite – and smash him over the head with them.

But Madeline could only watch Henry in fascination. The look on his face as his stood at the nursery window, watching their son, was one of pure, rapturous love. She had never seen so much love directed at one person before; would not have believed Henry Spencer capable of it. But there it was. Madeline knew Henry. She could have – ok, maybe she already had, it wasn't like Henry knew she had written an article about him for a psychology journal. And a piece of her was jealous of the love their son would never truly be aware of. She knew Henry would never show that kind of love to their child as he grew. He rarely showed love to her either.

Yet as she stood there, fascinated, as Henry watched Shawn – _ok, he was right, Shawn was a better name than David_ – Madeline knew that love at first sight existed. Henry Spencer loved his son.

**_A/N - Everyone - except Shawn - knows Henry loves his son, in his own strange way. Madeline knows this has been true since day one. She was there. And I figured if they can use Madeline/Maddie for Cybil Shepard's character, I can keep making Moonlighting jokes._**


	3. Chapter 3 Light

**Light # 3**

**No, I don't own Psych.**

Madeline pulled her rental car up to the Santa Barbara house she had once called home. Lights were on in several rooms of the house. Henry had bought the house before they had married. With the down payment he had scraped together, his mortgage payments were less than rent on any apartment in the area. So here Henry had brought his bride, here they would bring their newborn son, Shawn. Here Henry and Madeline would raise their son, here they would argue, and here Madeline found excuse after excuse to leave. But until that last time, here was where she had always come back to. And as always, there was a light on.

Opening the car door, Madeline cautiously slid out. As she gently shut the door, she looked around. The hedges were neatly trimmed and unlike his neighbors, Henry never left any tools lying around. Maybe that was why, as cranky as Henry could be, the neighborhood tolerated him. The attention to detail and compulsive order of the property probably raised the value of the entire neighborhood. Slowly, her steps hesitant, Madeline walked up the drive, pausing next to the Norton motorcycle parked next to Henry's old (she couldn't believe he still had it) truck. She had hated that truck for years, especially as it had been the reason for Henry arresting their son. Sure, Shawn should have been disciplined for taking the truck without permission, but arresting him? That action had caused a break in the father – son relationship that still remained like a festering wound. If they would only sit down and discuss it…Wait, stop. It was Henry – that so was never gonna happen.

And the motorcycle. Henry hated that bike with a passion. Madeline knew it was fear. If Henry had his way, Shawn would be secure in a Volvo, with front and side airbags. But it was also what that motorcycle symbolized. Shawn leaving, leaving Santa Barbara, leaving his father. Henry loved their son but it was impossible for him to show it. Shawn loved his father but had never learned how to verbalize it – she blamed Henry for that.

As the lights grew brighter and Madeline drew ever closer to the house, her apprehension grew. How had Shawn reacted to the news that she was coming back to visit? His reaction couldn't be too bad – he was still here.

With a deep, calming breath, Madeline stepped up to the front door. From inside the house, she could hear Shawn and Henry's voices. Forcing her heart back into her chest, she cleared her throat and rang the doorbell. The door was opened and light flooded onto the porch. Madeline's heart clenched as she watched the smile fade from her son's face and some of the light drain from his eyes.

"Mom."

**_A/N - ok, that takes us to the end of season 2. _**


	4. Chapter 4 Dark

**#4 – Dark**

_**Still don't own...**_

Shawn didn't remember eating dinner. He wasn't hungry, so maybe he had. But with the way his stomach was churning, maybe he had simply known that he couldn't eat anything.

He didn't remember keeping or breaking the date he had for tonight. But it was midnight and he was alone. So Shawn was guessing he had either broken the date or stood her up.

He couldn't remember driving here from his dad's. He hoped he had driven from there. If he left the Norton at his father's there was a better than average chance that it had been sold by now.

Where the hell was he anyway? It was dark. He felt dark so that fit somehow.

There were no stars out tonight. No moon. There was supposed to be an overcast sky tonight with a chance of early morning showers. How had he known that? Oh, yeah. Gus had mentioned it to Shawn. Said if he spent the night with his date, he might want to have her drive because of the showers. If his father had overheard them he would have gone on about why Shawn needed a car instead of a motorcycle.

Shawn kept walking down the darkened street. He was trying to get his thoughts straight and it wasn't working.

His mom was back. She had not been a major player in his life in years. Hell, she not only hadn't been in the same state as him in years, for the last two she hadn't even been in the same country. His dad had been. His dad who, as much as Shawn fought with him, Shawn knew could always go to. It hadn't been like that before. But left on their own, without Madeline around, Shawn and Henry had found their way back to each other.

Shawn should have been happy to see his mother again. He loved her and any normal person would be happy to see his mother again after so long. What was wrong with him, he opened the door to his mother and he felt as if he had been shoved into a darkened closet. With the door locked. And your grandmother's old clothes sucking up all the air.

"Shawn?" Turning around, Shawn saw Juliet O'Hara walking up to him, a flashlight in one hand and the other clutching a gray tabby to her chest. From her old sweats, Shawn presumed the pretty detective had been at home when her cat – Shadow? – had gotten out. Both her cats were indoor cats, so Juliet must have gone looking for him.

"Jules. Shadow sneak out again?"

Juliet didn't argue when he pulled the cat from her grasp. The cat immediately began to snuggle to the pseudo psychic. Juliet smiled. Somehow, it looked so good to see Shawn with her cat…Then she looked more closely at Shawn.

"Shawn? What's wrong?"

Shawn smiled, one that didn't reach his eyes. Juliet was amazed to see the amount of pain and confusion darkened the hazel orbs.

"Jules, I…I'm just feeling really confused. I should…I wanted to call Gus, but I promised him not to call tonight. He has an early morning meeting and he wants to be sharp."

The fact that Shawn had been so considerate of his friend should have touched Juliet. Instead it concerned her. But wait – wasn't Shawn supposed to be on a date tonight?

"Shawn, didn't you have a date tonight? You know - the one I missed out on?" Her teasing tone was lost on Shawn.

"I think I missed it."

Truly concerned now, Juliet put a hand through Shawn's free arm. "C'mon, Shawn. Let's head inside. It looks like that rain is coming sooner than expected." Sure enough, a few sprinkles had begun to fall. "Let's talk in the house."

Still holding the cat, Shawn blindly followed Juliet's flashlight into her condo. Trusting her to lead him from the dark.

a/n - please read the next part - it will all make sense.


	5. Chapter 5 Seeking Solace

**Seeking Solace - #5**

**_Don't own except on DVD._**

Ten minutes. Shawn Spencer had sat on Juliet O'Hara's couch for ten minutes. For ten minutes, he had not moved beyond the repetitive motion of his hand stroking the back of her cat's head. For ten minutes Shawn had not said a word. Not – a – single – solitary – word. It wasn't normal. Well, normal was a relative term when it came to Shawn Henry Spencer, but still…Shawn was a perpetual motion machine with a self-looping soundtrack accompaniment.

But not for the last ten minutes.

"Shawn?" Juliet reached out a hand, placing it on the pseudo-psychic's arm. The hand paused, mid-stroke on Shadow's neck. A disgruntled "Rowl" was heard from the cat as he jumped from Shawn's lap but still the man said nothing.

Now Juliet was really worried. She was ready to start making phone calls – Gus, Henry, even Carlton…whatever it took to reach Shawn. But then she heard his soft whisper.

"Jules? Am I a bad person?"

"Shawn, how could you even think that? You are one of the nicest, friendliest guys I know. Of course, I mainly know cops and criminals, so that kind of limits it…" Juliet froze as she realized that she had begun to ramble, something she hated doing but did way too often. At least according to her partner, she did. Personally, Juliet suspected she did it because Lassiter was way too quiet.

"Why aren't I happy?"

Juliet laughed. "You? Not happy? Shawn Spencer, you are the happiest person I know. You find laughter and joy in almost everything. You make people feel good just to be around you. Well, except Carlton, but the only thing that makes him happy is being right and shooting his gun. And since you have a tendency to be right when he is wrong and the Chief has absolutely forbidden him to draw a weapon in your vicinity unless mine is already drawn, he is never happy around you."

"I should be happy she's here, right?"

It was all Juliet could do not to make a very rude comment at that moment. "Are we discussing the assistant curator from the museum?"

"No."

Juliet waited for a moment and was about to say something when Shawn continued.

"My mom."

"Your mother? I didn't know you had a mother. I mean, I know you had to have a mother, everyone has a mother, but you never mention her. I know you have a father, although I don't know him all that well. You tend to keep him away from me. But…" Juliet sucked in her breath, amazed she had gone on that long without breathing.

Shawn stood up and walked over to the window, looking out at the rain splattering on the door step. He couldn't see beyond that.

"You need lights here. There are no street lights on this part of the street."

Shrugging, Juliet watched Shawn as he stared out into the darkness. "There was a car accident last week. Took out a street light. They haven't replaced it and they actually shut off the one next to it so half a block is in the dark." The look on Shawn's face was blank, making it clear that he really never heard what she was saying.

"She's been out of the country for over two years. They've been divorced for ages. They fought my entire life. Not bad at first but it got progressively worse. And she kept leaving. Oh, I know. It was for conferences, or some other shrink business thing." Shawn finally turned and looked at Juliet, a wry smile on his face. "Bet that surprised you. My mother is a psychologist. Dad's a cop. And I'm a nut job who solves crimes. Good mix, right?"

Juliet rose from the couch, walking over to join Shawn by the window. "Well, nut job may be a bit much. I'd go with eccentric."

A more genuine smile crossed Shawn's face at that. "Jules, my mom came back tonight. And I left the house. I should be happy to see my mom again. I…I love her, right? She's my mom. But everything is going good in my life. I have a job I love. I've never held a job this long. I feel like this is what I was meant for. I have friends. Well, I've always had Gus. But I actually have more than Gus although Gus is a lot. Really. The guy is my brother in everything but DNA."

Shawn sighed deeply and walked back to the couch, sitting back down with a thump. "I used to sneak over to Gus' house when they would fight. Mr. Guster pretended to put in the rope ladder outside of Gus' window so he could roll it down in case of fire. In truth he did it so I would stop having Gus sneak me in. It was easier."

Julie chuckled at that as she rejoined Shawn on the couch, sitting slightly closer to him than she had before. "Did your parent know?"

Sighing again, Shawn leaned back slightly. "Mom? No. She tended to be pretty clueless about that. But Dad knew. I could never get anything past that man."

"Your father had a reputation for being a good cop, very thorough."

Shawn nodded. "Yeah. He was a very good cop. Drove me nuts, still does. But we have been getting along better. I actually see him now just because I want to. We eat whole meals together without major fights. I still won't go fishing with him but I have sat on the porch with him in the evening, sharing a beer. We sometimes talk, sometimes sit there and watch the sun set. It's the best relationship I have had with my father since I started school. And…God, this sounds pitiful. Jules, I am scared that my life is gonna get messed up again. I feel like I am that scared six-year-old again, listening to my parents argue, wondering if I am going to be left behind. I don't want to trust her with the life I have now because I am afraid she'll just walk out of it again."

Juliet moved directly next to Shawn and put an arm around his shoulders. "And if she does, you can bug Gus, annoy Carlton, argue with your father, drive the Chief insane and flirt with me. Your constants won't go anywhere, Shawn. I promise."

Leaning his head into her shoulder, Shawn sighed and let the tension flow from his body. Juliet picked up the remote, turning on the TV. "What do you say we watch TV for a while? Then you can crash on the couch. I don't want to worry about how you get home."

As a mediocre romantic comedy played – Robert Downey as the reincarnated husband wasn't bad, but the rest of the cast was only average – Juliet felt the weight on her shoulder grown heavier. Looking over, she saw Shawn had fallen asleep. Sliding out from under him, she arranged him on the couch, draping her grandmother's quilt over his sleeping form.

Brushing his hair back, Juliet laid a quick kiss on his forehead. Whispering, she confided, "I'm glad that you came to me to seek solace, Shawn. I don't know what else will be with us, but I am glad you trust me to be there for you."

As Juliet turned off the lights and went to find her own bed, Shawn turned slightly in his sleep, a smile on his face. Even in sleep, the scent and sound of someone he trusted to be there gave him comfort.

a/n that concludes the trilogy but more torie are forthcoming.


	6. Break Away

**Break Away - #6**

**_Disclaimer - not mine_**

**_A/N - my take on Madeline and Henry's final split._**

Madeline finished packing her suitcase and set it down on the floor before sitting in a chair by the door. She wouldn't just leave a note as she had before. She couldn't. She owed Henry that much.

Henry sighed as he came into the house. Taking off his hat, he placed it on the table and turned to get the pitcher of ice tea out of the fridge. As he pulled a glass from the cabinet, Henry couldn't help but grumble a little. It was already over a hundred degrees, and Memorial Day was still two weeks away. Picking up his hat once more, he carried his drink into the living room only to freeze when he saw Maddie sitting there. Her stiff posture told the story. Along with the suitcase, that is.

"Henry, I'm leaving."

Sighing, Henry set both the glass and his hat on the coffee table. "What, another conference? A sick friend? Your cousin's cat is having kittens?"

Madeline shook her head. "No, Henry. When I say I am leaving, I don't mean for a week, or even a month. I'm leaving. I've accepted a position in San Diego."

Pursing his lips, Henry nodded. "If that's what you want."

Relieved that he was taking it so calmly, Madeline stood. "I know Shawn will want to finish the school year in Santa Barbara. That will give me enough time to find a place. I'm staying with my friend Judy for a while. I'll let you know when I am ready for Shawn."

Frowning, Henry cocked his head to one side. "What, to visit? You want to start the every other weekend thing? Don't you think he is a bit old for that?"

Pulling her head back, Madeline set her suitcase back down from where she had picked it up. "Henry, once I am settled, Shawn will come live with me. I mean, I am his mother."

"And I am his father. And this is the only home he has ever known. And I am not the one who kept leaving him, Maddie. That would be you. I am the parent who was there, every day of his life. I am the one who figured out how to make brownies from a mix when Shawn needed last minute treats for his class. I am the one who goes down to the school when he gets in trouble. I am the one who has sat in the ER so many times because he decided to do something crazy once more. I am the parent who found the time to stay where our son needed me. You were the one who always had something more important than Shawn to run off to. What, Shawn is now old enough you figure it doesn't matter if you aren't around all the time, so he can live with you? No way, Maddie. Leave if you want to, but Hell will freeze over before you take my son."

Furious, Madeline glared at Henry. "You can't keep Shawn from me, Henry. Any judge will give him to me."

"How old was Shawn when he got his tonsils out?" Madeline froze, her face becoming the classic "deer-in-the-headlights" look. "How many times has Shawn broken his arm? What superhero was he imitating when he did it for the first time? Who is his English teacher this year?"

A sick feeling in the pit of her stomach overwhelmed her. She didn't know. Oh, God. She honestly didn't know.

"If you love Shawn, and you are still determined to break away from me and this house, know this…I will never let you take him from his home. When he goes, it will be his choice." Madeline brightened for a moment, if she talked to Shawn…Then Henry continued. "But for now, Shawn is not going anywhere. That kid needs as much stability in his life as possible. And that won't come from being with you."

Looking at the steel rods running through his jaws, Madeline nodded. Henry was inflexible in this. Maybe it was the best thing for Shawn. "I'll be in touch all the same."

Standing unmoving in the living room, Henry heard the sound of Madeline's car starting up and pulling away from the house. She was gone. And unlike all the other times, he knew she wasn't coming back. He was in no rush to file for a divorce. The house was his, they had kept separate finances for years, and Henry had even taken to working third shift more so he could sleep in the bedroom. That couch was going to cause him back problems in the long run. The only thing they kept in common was Shawn. And that was a non-negotiable point of interest. He knew Maddie loved their son. But he only had the time and energy to raise one kid, and Shawn was more suited for the position.

Sighing, Henry gulped down his ice tea before heading to the bedroom to change. He needed to make sure everything he needed for dinner was in the fridge before Shawn got home. And he would have to call his captain – it looked like he would be taking that day shift position after all. Henry had too much to do to sit around moping about Maddie's need to break away from their home, their family, their marriage. He knew he may not have been the sensitive, new age, in-touch-with-his feelings type. But he had stayed. Shouldn't that have counted for something?


	7. 7 Heaven

**Heaven - #7**

**Disclaimer - I only own Psych season 1 and 2 on DVD. I am already anticipating getting season three. That was such a great Season opener!**

Henry Spencer had had a long day. As a cop that wasn't uncommon. Most law enforcement officers would tell you – most days feel like a long day when you carry a badge. Henry never said that to Madeline. His wife was a psychiatrist. She would probably analyze that to death if he were to say it out loud. Madeline thought Henry didn't like to express his emotions. Well, maybe. But he also didn't like anyone judging his thoughts or feelings and he couldn't help but feel that Madeline would dissect anything he said. So usually, Henry just kept quiet.

As he entered the house through the kitchen, Henry noticed the timer had gone off on the stove – but it was still on. With a sigh, he pulled the chicken and potatoes from the oven. Madeline only had to put the pan in the oven and pull it out when it was done. Henry had set it up before he left for work. Madeline had been going on lately about how she needed the extra time to work on her psychology paper, since she had been away from work since just before Shawn was born. Their son, now four months old, was, in Henry's opinion, too young for daycare. But they had compromised. Madeline would do research from home until Shawn was six months old, and then he would be enrolled at a daycare run by the mother-in-law of a fellow SBPD officer.

Poking at the chicken, Henry sighed. It was a bit dry but was still edible. Too tired to fuss with much else, Henry pulled out a couple of tomatoes, which he could slice up to have with dinner. Placing the vegetables on the counter, Henry followed the sound of the electric typewriter. Madeline had a corner of the living room set up as a mini-office. Years later, Henry would convert that corner to a wet bar, but for now it was where his wife would pile books, folders and other research material in a casual pile. The pile would wave occasionally as Madeline pounded away at the keys.

"Madeline? Did you forget something?"

Without even looking up from her typing, Madeline paused to grab some White-Out and dabbing some on the paper, she blew on the cover-up before returning her focus to her work. "No, no I don't think I forgot anything, Henry. Why?"

"Dinner."

"I put it in the oven. It should be ready in…" Madeline's voice trailed off as she glanced at the clock on the wall. "Oh, hell, I…"

Henry interrupted his wife, gesturing her back to her seat. "I took it out. It's still edible. And we can slice up some tomatoes, so don't worry about a vegetable. Listen, are you ready to eat?"

Looking back at her paper, Madeline grimaced. "I just need another five minutes, Henry, I swear." Just then, the sounds of a soft wail could be heard. "Shawn. But I just gave him a bottle a little while ago. I…"

Interrupting again, Henry turned towards the sound, calling over his shoulder, "I got this one. Probably needs a fresh diaper."

Sure enough, Henry picked up the fussing infant and checked the offending garment, muttered, "Geez kid, any of this stuff stay inside of you? No wonder you're so skinny. I hope you bulk up over the years or CPS will be hounding me for starving you."

Henry went to put Shawn back into the crib when he was done changing the diaper, but the intense hazel eyes glared up at him. His son had yet to smile at him. Shawn smiled at Henry's partner, at his boss, at his grandparents and of course, at Madeline. Shawn smiled and cooed for strangers in the grocery store, especially the old man that ran the fresh produce section. But Shawn had yet to smile at his father.

Picking up the baby with a sigh, Henry tucked the infant into his shoulder. Running a hand along his son's back, he walked back towards the living room. Hearing the typewriter keys still clacking furiously, Henry didn't even bother approaching Madeline. Instead, Henry walked the baby out to the porch. Sitting on the porch swing, he set the swing in motion with a gentle push of his foot. Cuddling the baby, Henry looked down at his son, smiling. "Hey, kid. Think you can give one of those smiles you seem so fond of to your old man? Daddy could really use one today."

There was no smile, but Shawn did stare at his father intensely, as if to say, "So what's up, Pops?"

Brushing the baby-fine hair with his fingers, Henry's smile became a bit shaky. "I held a little boy, not much older than you, Shawn. I held him as he died. His mother had left him in a locked car and gone into a bar. She swore she had only been a minute but witnesses say she was in there for over an hour. It was almost ninety degrees today, Shawn. That kid never had a chance." Henry sighed, looking up at the sunset. It was a beautiful sight but somehow its glory was lost on him today. "You know, my grandfather use to say that a perfect sunset and a newborn baby was the proof that God was in Heaven. But I have to question that, kid. What kind of God lets a baby get cooked in a compact car while his mother does shots?"

Henry's heart was heavy as he recalled the shuddering final breath of that baby boy and cuddled his own son a bit closer. Blinking away any moisture from his eyes, Henry looked down at Shawn and gasped in wonder. Shawn was smiling up at his father. No gas, a real smile with eyes twinkling and hands waving. Almost as if he knew that would make his father feel better. Miraculously, it did.

Raising his son up closer to his face, Henry placed a small kiss on Shawn's forehead. No matter how crazy his son drove him in the future, Henry would never forget the day his baby had finally smiled at him. God really was in Heaven, wasn't he?

**_A/N - Henry once said that Shawn didn't smile at him until he was four months old, so that is here. And the words about babies, sunsets and heaven were said by my father-in-law when we told him he would be a grandfather. Sadly, he died before our daughter was born. I posted this on psychfic on Father's Day and dedicated it to my father-in-law. It may not be Father's Day, but the feeling is still there, just as we know that he is, watching over his children and grandkids. - CC_**


End file.
